Flowers and Steel
by FreakOTU
Summary: What happens when Jacinta and Sara meet when they're in the middle of a party? PG due to comic mischief and minor violence.
1. Grand Entrance

The rented limo pulled up to the main entrance of the Sentinel Hotel, waiting for the bellhop to  
  
open the rear door for the passengers. The bellhop, obviously surprised to see another limo arrive for  
  
the party that was already getting into gear, sprang into action, opening the door and peering into the  
  
dim interior of the large car.  
  
Inside the car, Sara looked at her friends, whom she had managed to sucker into joining her for  
  
the party. On her left, Dr. Anthony Zacharias looked distinctly uncomfortable at the idea of being  
  
trapped into a party with a bunch of overstuffed blowhards. However, he was wearing a very neat  
  
tuxedo though, and he appeared to be fairly comfortable in the fancy clothes. Across from Sara, sitting  
  
side by side, were CyberSix and Lucas. Lucas looked uncomfortable in his own tux, and Sara couldn't  
  
help but compare him to a giant teddy bear in a suit when she had first seen him. In contrast, Six looked  
  
absolutely stunning in the thigh length, strapless red dress she had bought several months ago, and her  
  
pearl earrings and crystal necklace only accented her natural beauty.  
  
On Sara's right, the only medical doctor in the city that Sara actually trusted fidgeted nervously,  
  
wondering aloud why she had to join in a party when she could be sleeping. Dr. Reba Pearce was  
  
wearing a black dress that had been custom fit to her tiny frame, and she looked like she was only  
  
fourteen instead of her actual twenty nine, though the dress did make her look older, as her physical  
  
growth had been halted just after her eleventh birthday.  
  
Sara herself had gone to some pains to look a lot better than normal, and she had decided to  
  
flaunt her appearance instead of hiding it. As a result, she was wearing a dark, cobalt blue dress that was  
  
slit up her left leg, and the cut of the dress was fairly rakish. The dress had been cut at an angle, so her  
  
left shoulder was bare, as was her right leg from below the knee. The only things that completed the  
  
ensemble was an asymmetrical pair of gloves, matching the dress' own angle. Sara's right arm was  
  
completely covered, excepting her fingers, and her left arm was bare from shoulder to elbow. Finally,  
  
Sara's golden pendant was still hanging off of her neck, and her armour was dormant, having been  
  
changed into an armlet that neatly wrapped around her upper left arm.  
  
She looked at herself in a small mirror for a few seconds, smiled, and looked at her friends. "So,  
  
shall we?"  
  
_______________________  
  
The techno's mouth twitched in irritation from the tiny receiver lodged behind his ear. He loaded  
  
his tray with the last of the champagne it could carry and proceeded into the Great Room. The best of  
  
the best were here tonight, celebrating the city's four hundredth birthday.  
  
Diamonds flashed on the women as they flitted from guest to guest and exchanged gossip. The  
  
men were decked out in their finest suits, looking stiff and austere. But the techno wasn't there to admire  
  
the glamour. He was there to keep an eye on a certain young lady, her mother, and her estranged father.  
  
Well, the young lady specifically.  
  
As he proceeded to make his rounds, the techno spotted Jacinta and her mother, Magdalena,  
  
huddled together by the beverage table. They looked distinctly uneasy at being surrounded by such  
  
illustrious people, although they were both dressed as well as anyone else. Jacinta was wearing a long,  
  
form fitting burgundy velvet dress, with black chandelier earrings and a matching choker. Her hair was  
  
swept back off of her face, revealing her burning gold eyes to anyone that even thought of taking a  
  
glance in that direction as well. Her mother was wearing a more traditional black cocktail dress, with  
  
jewelry kept to a minimum, save for a beautiful silver crucifix around her neck.  
  
They were both lovely, certainly, but they stuck out as surely as two sapphires among a row of  
  
diamonds. They may as well have been wearing signs that said "I really wish I weren't here right now."  
  
The techno knew why. Jacinta's father, Magdalena's ex-husband had invited them here; yet another  
  
feeble attempt at trying to get them to accept him back into their lives despite the fact that both of them  
  
had made it explicitly clear they had no intention of doing so.  
  
Jacinta looked up, caught his eye, and nodded. He nodded back sympathising with the poor girl.  
  
Naturally, Jose had been furious that he couldn't go. It would have looked beyond weird if he had. And  
  
how could Jacinta ever explain him to her parents? So she had gently, but firmly insisted that she would  
  
be fine and that he needn't worry. He would have hated it anyway, and deep down they both knew how  
  
awkward they would look together in public.   
  
The techno sighed. *So that's why I'm here, of course. To make sure his precious little fiancee  
  
is safe. Oh please!* He shook his head and went back to the kitchen for more champagne. Hell, maybe  
  
he'd have some himself.  
  
_______________________  
  
The elevator neatly pinged open, and Sara instantly swept part of her hair forwards, covering  
  
the right side of her face, much to the amusement of both Six and Reba. The rest of her hair, which she  
  
had spent several hours braiding, had been elaborately coifed and pinned in place, leaving a half dozen  
  
braids hanging down to the small of her back, with a seventh braid hanging down over her right  
  
shoulder, accenting her slim form. Sara noticed that Six and Lucas, despite their reservations about  
  
being pulled along, seemed to mingle in the crowd better than she would, as Sara usually didn't feel  
  
very comfortable in large crowds. "I told you that this was a bad idea."  
  
Sara looked over at Dr. Zack, who had spoken in an undertone as he looked at the members of  
  
the city's upper class. Sara shrugged, noticing Dr. Pearce expertly weave her way over to where two  
  
older women stood, striking up a conversation in seconds. "Yeah, well. I'm just calling it a learning  
  
experience. By the way, it looks like Tilman somehow managed to sneak up here. You might want to  
  
watch your back."  
  
Sara turned slightly, only to see that her warning had fallen on deaf ears. Dr. Zack had already  
  
engaged himself in a conversation, and judging from the advanced algorithms being dropped here and  
  
there, Sara guessed that at least the good doctor would also be happy that night. Feeling slightly thirsty,  
  
Sara slowly made her way through the crowd towards the drinks, gathering many appreciative glances  
  
from the men that she expertly breezed by, and many 'if looks could kill' glares from the various female  
  
attachments near those men.  
  
Sara smiled as she noticed that she had an immediate effect upon the crowd, as many people who  
  
could normally articulate themselves correctly suddenly found themselves spouting gibberish. However,  
  
as soon as Sara arrived at the beverage table, she found herself looking at two women that were standing  
  
next to each other nearby. The older woman Sara didn't recognize, though the silver crucifix around the  
  
woman's neck lent an air of studiousness and stability to her. The younger woman however, Sara had  
  
no trouble recognizing. The burning gold irises that focussed on her for a second gave it away, and  
  
promptly murdered Sara's good mood.  
  
Sighing lightly, Sara ordered a lightly spiked fruit punch, then, after receiving her drink, she  
  
decided to greet Jacinta for a moment. Walking up towards the girl, Sara slowly took a sip of her drink,  
  
absently noticing the lack of Jose anywhere in the immediate neighbourhood. However, she was  
  
distracted as several people, all chatting to themselves, cut between her and Jacinta, and  
  
unceremoniously translocated Sara into the middle of the room. *My lucky night. I get invited here by  
  
a no-show, and then I meet the girl I virtually pounded the tar out of almost a month ago. My lucky  
  
night.*  
  
The techno returned from re-stocking his platter with champagne glasses, only to notice a faint  
  
clicking in his ear. Deciphering the code, he looked over at where Jacinta stood, and was surprised to  
  
see a striking woman standing in between him and his charge. Before he could do anything, the taller  
  
woman smiled shyly and offered her right hand. "Hello, I'm Sara. What's your name?"  
  
_______________________  
  
Jacinta frowned, idly swirling the wine about in her glass. Normally, she and her mother did not  
  
drink, for physiological reasons as well as moral ones, but tonight they decided to go for it. "I still don't  
  
understand why we're here." she hissed to her mother in Spanish, taking a bored sip from her drink.   
  
"Because your father thinks it's important. And he did go out of his way to buy us our dresses  
  
and jewelry." Magdalena answered, crossing her arms. "But I know what you mean. It's ridiculous. He  
  
knows we don't belong here."  
  
She and her daughter both set their smouldering gazes on Alejandro Velasquez, prominent as  
  
a businessman in the real estate sector, and currently schmoozing with the mayor. When the three had  
  
first come in, he'd tried to put on the impression that they were a normal family, only to be quickly  
  
abandoned by both women. Since then, he hadn't bothered to talk to them. And neither had anyone else.   
  
"Gawd, this is stupid." Jacinta muttered under her breath, downing the rest of her wine and  
  
setting the glass aside. She was starting to miss Jose and the relative quiet of the mansion. She was  
  
surprised, however, when she saw a tall, slender woman with blood-red hair approaching the beverage  
  
table.  
  
*Wow* she thought sarcastically, *someone's actually coming NEAR us.*   
  
The woman was smiling to herself, but upon noticing Jacinta, her smile melted, reforming into  
  
a neutral expression, and she quickly averted her gaze. She took a glass of punch and turned the other  
  
way. Jacinta narrowed her eyes and studied the woman more carefully. There was something vaguely  
  
familiar about her hair, and the way she carried herself. It seemed that she should know this person, but  
  
nothing clicked. Shrugging, she ignored the feeling and went back to staring at the crowd.  
  
_______________________  
  
*Oh, God!* the techno thought. *What do I say?* The woman, Sara, waited patiently, still  
  
holding out her hand.  
  
"Uh, my name's Miguel," he answered quickly, mentally cursing the soft buzzing in his ear.  
  
*Damn! Did Jose not know when to just back off?*  
  
Sara nodded and shook his hand. 'Miguel' winced, noticing that her grip was quite strong.   
  
"Nice to meet you, Miguel." she said, her voice carrying an undertone that implied the contrary.   
  
*Why is she talking to me?* he thought, his mind racing for an opportunity to get away from  
  
her. She had to suspect something. *Crap.*  
  
_______________________  
  
"Miguel, you seem to be pretty knowledgeable about the members of the party. Could you  
  
kindly tell me who that young lady over by the drinks is?" Outwardly, Sara smiled sweetly, but inside  
  
her mind, she was quickly cataloguing everything 'Miguel' had secreted upon his person, including the  
  
shiv he had up one sleeve, and the tiny subdermal microphone hidden behind one ear.  
  
'Miguel' stammered for a few seconds, and then cleared his throat. "I believe that the two ladies  
  
over there are of the Velasquez family. The older madam is Magdalena, and her daughter is Jacinta.  
  
They are a stunning pair, are they not?"  
  
Sara smiled again, letting a brief flash of something undefinable show through her eyes. "They'd  
  
be extremely popular if they had not stonewalled everyone here. I think I'll go over and talk to them for  
  
a while. It'd be better than trying to find my own friends in this place. Thank you for your assistance,  
  
and," Sara leaned closer, gently kissing the techno on the cheek before whispering something in his ear.  
  
"Tell Jose that he should not worry. After all, his love is in good hands."  
  
Sara then turned, leaving the techno standing there, totally dumbstruck. As several men  
  
grumbled good-naturedly about a server getting a kiss from such a lovely vision before they did, Sara  
  
walked over to Jacinta, who had just finished off a glassful of wine. Seeing the opening was as good as  
  
any, Sara gently reached out and picked up the empty wine glass, placing it on a passing platter that  
  
was half full of champagne glasses.  
  
Jacinta, irritated, turned and glared at Sara for a few seconds, but didn't lash out verbally.  
  
Instead, Sara quite neatly placed her own drink on a nearby table, and offered Jacinta a handshake.  
  
"Hello Jacinta. Care to talk instead of standing here and stonewalling all the guys in a twenty foot  
  
radius?"  
  
_______________________  
  
*What the--? No way--it's HER!* Jacinta thought as her brain registered the speaker to be none  
  
other than the bounty hunter who had abducted her a month before in order to meet her father and then  
  
had given Jacinta the reward money instead of taking it for herself.  
  
It was amazing what a transformation a nice dress could bring out. She had to admit that Sara  
  
looked, well, pretty when not dressed in black and armed to the teeth. No wonder Jacinta had not  
  
recognized her in the first place, but it was clear that Sara had. And here she was, smiling and asking  
  
for a friendly chat. Jacinta hoped that was all she was here for.  
  
Her mother nodded towards Sara. "Jacinta, do you know this person?"  
  
Jacinta's throat tightened and she swallowed nervously. *Uh, yeah, that's the understatement  
  
of the century.* Smiling stiffly, she said, "Mama, I'd like you to meet um..." she fished for a name,  
  
suddenly realizing that the bounty hunter had never given it to her.  
  
"Sara D'Arnise," Sara finished, stepping up and shaking Magdalena's hand amiably, acting like  
  
any other woman out for a bit of fun. "It's nice to meet you. I noticed you two seemed a little lonely, so  
  
I came over to introduce myself."  
  
Magdalena smiled. "Well, that's nice. I didn't think anyone would want to talk to us. This isn't  
  
really our crowd, I have to say."   
  
Sara nodded politely. "Well, it's not mine, either. But you just have to learn to play it they way  
  
they do. In fact," she glanced pointedly at Jacinta, "I'd like to show you how."   
  
*What the HELL is going on here?* Jacinta wondered, eyes flitting between her mother and  
  
Sara. *I hope to hell she's not planning to do something. Like kidnap me again.*  
  
"Jacinta, why don't you go with Sara?" Magdalena suggested, her mood suddenly brightening.  
  
Her daughter eyed both older women warily. "Aren't you coming?" Jacinta probed, obviously  
  
not very comfortable with the situation that had suddenly been forced onto her.  
  
"No," her mother answered with an airy wave of her hand. "You go on and have fun. Go on,"  
  
she gave Jacinta a little push. "I'll be fine."  
  
Jacinta gave her mother one last suspicious look before Sara grabbed her forearm and started  
  
dragging her away. When her daughter had vanished into the sea of blue blood, Magdalena's eyes  
  
searched out her ex-husband. *It's about time I had a word with him*  
  
_______________________  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Jacinta hissed, squirming against Sara's grip.   
  
"Getting you a little social action," Sara answered brightly. "This is a party, not some bar you  
  
go slumming into."  
  
"Yeah, a party that we don't belong in," Jacinta replied spitefully.   
  
"Oh, nonsense," the bounty hunter said. "Just follow along and you'll be fine. Besides, Dr.Zack  
  
and Cyb are here. I'm sure they'd love to see you."  
  
"Huh? You mean CyberSix, right?" Jacinta asked wonderingly, her heart lifting for a moment.  
  
She hadn't seen her aunt in a while and it would make her night if she could spend some time with her.  
  
She let Sara drag her along in search of her group, all complaints leaving her.  
  
_______________________  
  
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, 'Miguel' was relentlessly downing glass after glass of champagne.   
  
_______________________  
  
"So, no hard feelings about the last time we met?" Sara had easily begun to mingle with the  
  
other partygoers, though she kept a sharp eye on Jacinta, who looked like she would much rather be  
  
slumming in the nearest bar.  
  
Jacinta, surprised at being addressed so casually about the 'incident' nearly choked on her new  
  
drink. Pausing for a few seconds, she then shook her head. "Not really. By the way, Jose still wants to  
  
find and beat you up."  
  
Sara nodded, gently shaking hands with the Mayor's wife. "I can't say I blame him. I remember  
  
what I did when I thought I had lost someone important to me, and it wasn't pretty. Pardon me Mrs.  
  
Trillio, but did you by any chance see Dr. Zacharias pass by?"  
  
Sara waited politely for a response, and, seeing Dr. Zack standing by the doors to the outside  
  
balcony, she gently steered Jacinta towards the older doctor, only to be intercepted by the one person  
  
who could instantly set Sara's nerves on edge.  
  
There, in between her and what could be considered a safe haven, was the mayor's son. If there  
  
could be any other overly officious, smarmy, and otherwise completely lecherous person at the party,  
  
Sara would be hard pressed to pick one out. The brat, as Sara preferred to call him, noticed her, and he  
  
instantly decided to walk over and attempt to lay out his 'charms'.  
  
"Hel-lo, babes of the evening. Care to spend some time with Myron the fantastic?" Sara instantly  
  
snorted derisively, but refrained from flipping off a rude gesture or activating her armour and  
  
backhanding the young man through a window. Instead, smiling sweetly, she reached up and grabbed  
  
his ear, pulling him down to her height, as he towered over her by a good eight inches.  
  
"When pigs grow wings, and I doubt you'll be flying under your own power any time lately."  
  
Jacinta snickered, as did several other guests who had overheard the blunt rebuttal, though Myron  
  
looked entirely nonplussed. Grabbing Sara's left hand, he pulled her towards him, acting like he wanted  
  
a kiss or something more from Sara, who was entirely uninterested.  
  
"Come on baby, you know you want Myron's big slab of hot love, and Myron'd happily give it  
  
to you." With that muttered statement, Myron pressed Sara's hand into his crotch. Sara's response was  
  
to quirk an eyebrow and smile sweetly.  
  
"Where is it?" Seeing Myron frown, Sara smiled again, threatening to give someone diabetes  
  
just from the sweetness of her smile, and then spoke again. "No, seriously. Where is it? All I can feel  
  
are two peanuts and a thimble."  
  
Sara paused for a second, taking a light breath, and noticing that Myron reeked of bad booze.  
  
She then reached slightly further down, and, knowing that her fingernails were exceedingly sharp, she  
  
grabbed onto an uncomfortable part of the male anatomy and twisted. "Why don't you take your little  
  
toy there, and go bother someone who is brainless enough to actually respond to your advances."  
  
Sara then let go, leaving Myron gasping for air as she walked out to the balcony, Jacinta  
  
following with an amused smirk on her face. "So, that was an example on how to enjoy yourself at a  
  
party?"  
  
Sara rolled her eyes, sweeping her loose hair back behind her ears so she could get some of the  
  
cool air on the right side of her face. "No. That was another how-to. How to cripple the rampant lech  
  
of the party without physically injuring him. What would you have done in the same situation? Punched  
  
him out?"  
  
Jacinta nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah, and I would have felt a lot better about myself too."  
  
Sara nodded, and collected two glasses of champagne from a passing server. "And, if I had  
  
wanted to, I could have activated my body armour and thrown the little perv through a foot thick wall.  
  
however, I don't want to be saddled with an assault or murder charge, so verbally emasculating him was  
  
the next best choice. Besides, it was funny as hell to walk him waddle off like that. Still, I think you'll  
  
want to avoid the ice sculpture, as he'll probably use that to cool down."  
  
Jacinta giggled, making a disgusted face at the mental image Sara had just planted into her  
  
mind. "Now, where did Tony meander off to?" Sara handed over the second glass of champagne to  
  
Jacinta, who accepted the drink with a little trepidation. However, just as Sara started to look around  
  
the balcony for Dr. Zack, he found them.  
  
"Hi Sara. Enjoying yourself as much as I am?" Sara nearly laughed, but instead, she shook her  
  
head.  
  
"It could always be better. By the way, do you know Jacinta Velasquez?" Sara gestured Jacinta  
  
forwards, smiling slightly as the doctor seemed to pause, almost as if he was having a double-take.  
  
_______________________  
  
Inside the kitchen, Miguel had been joined by Myron, who was holding a very large bag of ice  
  
to a very sensitive area of his body, and guzzling champagne almost as quickly as the techno. 


	2. Speech and Song

_______________________  
  
"Jacinta?" Dr. Zack asked in surprise. "My goodness! You look so grown up!"  
  
The girl smiled and blushed slightly, unused to being complimented by a teacher. She  
  
couldn't help but wonder what he thought of her, considering that she had suddenly vanished after  
  
the last week of high school, leaving her mother and her friends anxiously searching for her. Jacinta  
  
choked back the rising feeling of guilt and embarrassment, trying to keep a straight face.  
  
"Thanks," she said. "You look nice, too. Sara was just showing me around," her blush  
  
deepened a bit at the memory of a currently disabled Myron, "I'm glad to see you here. I thought I'd  
  
be spending the whole night at the drink table."  
  
Dr. Zack nodded, exchanging a glance with Sara. "Well, I'm glad she found you then. I don't  
  
think you'll have to worry about being bored with her around." He chuckled.   
  
*Yeah, no shit.* Jacinta thought.   
  
"Um, Dr.Zack, my aunt wouldn't be here by any chance, would she?" Jacinta asked.   
  
_______________________  
  
Sara chuckled to herself as she listened to Jacinta talking to Dr. Zack, occasionally sipping  
  
her champagne. She perked up an eyebrow when she realized that, from Dr. Zack's reaction, Jacinta  
  
had been a student at the school where she normally worked. Dr. Zack, unsurprised by Jacinta's  
  
question, nodded, and pointed back into the middle of the expansive dance floor that was just  
  
beginning to open up. "I bet that you'll see Cyb and Lucas cutting the rug in a few minutes, and,  
  
despite some earlier reservations, I have to say that they make a nice pair."  
  
Sara snorted at that remark, causing Dr. Zack to roll his eyes as he leaned in towards  
  
Jacinta, whispering something that was meant only for her. "You will pardon Sara that 'remark' I  
  
hope. From what Cyb told me, her entire family is dead, and she is almost completely devoid of love  
  
for others as well as herself. I am concerned about her, and I think that you might be able to help  
  
her, as she only seems to open up when she's around someone she actually appreciates."  
  
Jacinta nodded, noting that Sara's bright blue eyes had easily picked out something of  
  
interest. Looking in the same direction, Jacinta noticed her aunt and Lucas, lost in their own little  
  
world as they looked at each other. Almost imperceptibly, Jacinta noticed Sara sigh, and then take a  
  
long sip of her drink. Shaking her head, Sara once again seemed to smile to herself, though it was  
  
more to the audience of admiring men that had begun to congregate and slowly coalesce around  
  
Sara as she leaned against the balcony's railing.  
  
A few minutes later, Sara calmly walked over to where Dr. Zack and Jacinta were, idly  
  
surprised that Jacinta actually seemed to be enjoying herself. "So, talk about anything interesting  
  
while I fended off the advance of horny? Let's go and distract Cyb before she falls off of the edge  
  
with Lucas."  
  
Jacinta, surprised at the off-key statement, giggled, and then glanced at Sara, who seemed to  
  
be genuinely smiling for the first time that night. "Yeah, I think we should. Any suggestions?"  
  
Sara grinned, leaning in towards Jacinta and Dr. Zack as she started whispering hurriedly,  
  
laying out her plan. Halfway through, both Dr. Zack and Jacinta broke out laughing, and Sara also  
  
started chuckling. "Well, shall we get to it?"  
  
_______________________  
  
Miguel, thoroughly smashed on expensive alcohol, and Myron, also thoroughly smashed as  
  
well as numb from the waist down, were soon joined by an older man, cradling an ice pack for one  
  
of his fingers.  
  
Myron, noticing the man, smiled and gestured for him to sit down. "Lemme guesh. Tha'  
  
knockout in the blue dress broke yer finger?"  
  
The man winced and nodded. "Gimme some champagne. All I did was slap her butt."  
  
_______________________  
  
There was a momentary silence as the band began to play Argentina's national anthem. A  
  
few patriotic souls sang softly, but most just waited for the good music to start. When the slow, dull  
  
honor to "Land of Fire" ended, couples began to drift onto the dance floor.  
  
The band then switched gears, striking up a lively tango. Dr. Zack, Sara, and Jacinta saw  
  
Cybersix lead a nervous Lucas out onto the floor, all of them grinning broadly. Obviously, Lucas  
  
wasn't that much of a dancer, but CyberSix looked quite ready to teach him. Jacinta couldn't help  
  
but notice how beautiful her aunt was in her red dress; how she radiated a relaxed, confident aura  
  
that she'd only seen briefly before, when Cybersix was kicking Fixed Idea ass. It was a treat to see  
  
her so happy.   
  
Jacinta's eyes flicked down to her left hand, and the delicate silver ring that encircled one  
  
finger. Nothing special upon first glance, but the symbolism behind it was clear enough. *I hope I'm  
  
that happy when...* she didn't finish her thought, as Sara, true to character, conveniently interrupted  
  
her reverie.   
  
"Come on," she whispered conspiritorially. "Time to get things going."  
  
_______________________  
  
"I dun git it," Myron slurred, the nearly illegal amount of alcohol running in his veins  
  
limiting his vocabulary as well as his syntax. "I mean, hell, I's the richest sonufa bitch in thiz city.  
  
Chicks shoulda be throwin' theselves at me." He reached now for a glass of brandy. "Ahhh...dat's  
  
sum good shit right there man..."  
  
The man with the broken finger nodded sympathetically, also feeling the effects of his drink.   
  
"Yah, I know. She broke mah finger! And I didn't do nuthin' to 'er. I always thought women went for  
  
that."  
  
Myron sniffed. "Yeh. Yer the only one gets me. I love you, man."  
  
'Miguel', loaded down with champagne, and more than slightly freaked out by the alcohol  
  
induced male bonding, promptly passed out.  
  
_______________________  
  
Sara, having laid out her plan to separate Six and Lucas for the rest of the evening, soon  
  
found another willing accomplice in the form of Dr. Pearce, who was still chatting gleefully with  
  
two older women, both of which were turning a neat shade of green as Dr. Pearce recounted her ER  
  
exploits. Just as Reba was about to get to the climax of a story where she literally had to squeeze  
  
someone's heart shut, Sara decided to interject before the two women could faint. "Reba, that's  
  
enough of your grossing out the ladies. Now, I need some help, and you're just the person to fit the  
  
bill."  
  
Reba smiled, not turning away from her captive audience. "Oh really? Too bad. I was just  
  
getting to the juicy part. Maybe in ten minutes."  
  
Sara smiled, pulling out one of her trump cards. "You help me in this, and I'll crack down on  
  
the pathology department. Probably make them twice as good as they are now."  
  
Reba grinned, turning away from the two other women, both of whom shot glances of  
  
appreciation at Sara. "Deal. So, what do you want me to do?"  
  
Sara smiled and laid out part of her plan to the tiny doctor. "Well, we need someone to  
  
distract Lucas, and you're the best candidate. He doesn't trust me, Dr. Zack would have no part in  
  
such a scheme, and I'm needed to distract everyone else before Six can recover. Care to ask him for a  
  
dance?"  
  
Reba laughed, knowing just how much it would twist Six's tail if she hijacked Lucas. "Sure.  
  
I'll do it. Just make sure to keep Six off of my back."  
  
Sara smiled mysteriously, showing off as she chuckled. "Oh, she'll be distracted well enough.  
  
I don't think she'll try to retaliate here anyhow."  
  
Sara then returned to where Dr. Zack and Jacinta stood, giving a thumbs-up to both of them  
  
as she passed by, heading towards the kitchen. Jacinta looked at Sara's retreating form, and looked at  
  
Dr. Zack. "I wonder what she's up to?"  
  
Dr. Zack's response was slightly amused, though more tolerant than most would be. "All in  
  
good time, my dear. I think she'll be explaining herself soon enough, though most likely after she  
  
manages to get your claws in Six and make her at least say hello."  
  
In actuality, Sara was not heading towards the kitchen, though her path took her just beyond  
  
the double doors. She was actually going to get something arranged with the music, and Sara  
  
grinned as she spoke quickly to the maestro who was going to take over the music for the next set.  
  
Coming to an agreement, Sara turned and walked back to Dr. Zack, who was busy regaling Jacinta  
  
with a rather entertaining tale. Jacinta looked at Sara and asked the obvious question. "So, how'd it  
  
go?"  
  
Sara nodded. "Perfectly. Dr. Pearce will distract Lucas, and you two can swipe Six during  
  
the next set. By the way, I think they'll like the choice of music, as the vocalist is quite good."  
  
Jacinta glanced at Dr. Zack, who shrugged, almost as confused as the youngest of the group.  
  
However, just as they were about to barrage Sara with some more questions, the first musical set  
  
ended, and Sara promptly disappeared. The maestro of the second set walked out onto the stage,  
  
where a microphone had been set up. "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you have heard of the  
  
musician known only as the Angel of Redemption."  
  
He was forced to pause as many of the crowd began to murmur excitedly, as most of them  
  
had heard of the mysterious singer who had taken Meridiana's airwaves by storm. "Anyhow, for the  
  
first time, she will be participating in a live concert, accompanied by the Meridiana Philharmonic  
  
Orchestra. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to introduce the Angel of Redemption!"  
  
As he finished speaking, most of the lights in the building dimmed down, leaving only a  
  
single spotlight over the microphone. As the crowd hushed, Sara walked into the light, stopping in  
  
front of the microphone. "Everyone, this song is dedicated to two of my very close friends. May their  
  
lives be filled with happiness as well as peace."  
  
With that, Sara began to sing, a low, beautiful melody that resonated through the large room.  
  
_______________________  
  
*Bounty hunting AND a pop singer? Is there anything she DOESN'T do?* Jacinta thought  
  
wonderingly as she watched Sara sing. She noticed a small woman, who looked to be no more than a  
  
girl, really, sidle up to Lucas. She stood on her tiptoes and whispered something in his ear. The big  
  
man nodded and grinned, and started to waltz off with her. CyberSix watched, aghast, as her date for  
  
the evening suddenly left her side.  
  
She looked ready to duke it out with the competition, but the small woman waved lightly  
  
and motioned with a tiny hand in Jacinta's general direction. CyberSix's expression changed to one  
  
of recognition and followed the other woman's wave. Black eyes met gold, and Jacinta found herself  
  
quickly swept up in a rib-creaking embrace. "Aunt Si-er, Cyb!" she exclaimed, using CyberSix's  
  
public alias. "I missed you!"  
  
"I've missed you too!" her aunt replied, tears entering her voice. "I haven't seen you in so  
  
long!" She stood back at arm's length to get a better look. "You look beautiful."  
  
Jacinta smiled at the compliment. "Nothing like you, though. I almost didn't recognize you."  
  
"That's because you've never seen me in a dress," CyberSix teased lightly. "I've had this for  
  
months but I never had a chance to wear it."  
  
*Now you do* the girl thought. "I could never pull that off," she mused.   
  
CyberSix blushed, a fetching combination of embarrassment and pleasure. She nodded at Dr.  
  
Zack. "I see you two have run into each other."  
  
"Yes, we've had a lot of catching up to do," the doctor replied. "But I think I'll leave that to  
  
you two now." He gave them both affectionate pats on the shoulder. "Jacinta, I wish you well," he  
  
said. "Also, I hope we'll meet again soon. You can always drop by school or the townhouse."  
  
"I think I will," she said. "Thank you."  
  
Dr. Zack inclined his head slightly, then moved closer to the stage to better hear Sara.  
  
Jacinta felt a hand brush her shoulder, and, still paranoid from her previous run-in with such an act,  
  
she nearly jumped out of her skin.  
  
"Relax, it's just me," Magdalena said.   
  
Jacinta took a deep breath, holding a hand up to her pounding heart. "Don't DO that!"  
  
Her mother smirked and turned her attention to CyberSix. "I just wanted to say hello to my  
  
sister, is all. I haven't seen you around in a while. How are you?"  
  
"I'm okay," Cybersix said as the two exchanged a hug. "Some days are better than others,  
  
concerning, well...you know. But I'd rather not talk about all that. And while we're here, call me  
  
Cyb. It makes things less complicated."  
  
Magdalena nodded. "Yeah, I know. Let's just enjoy ourselves for now."  
  
_______________________  
  
Sara finished singing the first song in the set, and promptly blushed at the adulation that was  
  
heaped upon her. Looking out at the crowd of well dressed people, Sara decided to bend the rules a  
  
bit, though she had privately called herself a rule-bender for many occasions. "Well, as this is my  
  
first live show, in any way, shape or form, I think I'll give you all a treat. For the next three songs,  
  
I'll take requests from the audience. Deal?"  
  
The response was one of universal acclaim, and Sara was quite happy to point out Reba,  
  
who was almost jumping up and down so she could be picked. "How about... Angel's Descension?"  
  
Sara nodded, and, half-turning, she raised an eyebrow at the orchestra's conductor. He  
  
nodded, signifying that the orchestra knew the song, and started the music. Sara once again began to  
  
sing, knowing that she would enjoy herself for at least a little while. Out of the corner of her eye, she  
  
noticed Dr. Zack standing just off of the stage, nodding his head to the beat of the song. Further  
  
away, Sara noticed Jacinta, Six, and Magdalena talking to each other, and smiled as she continued  
  
the song.  
  
Down on the dance floor, Reba and Lucas were dancing away, creating an incongruous sight  
  
that privately amused some people, but was more endearing than ridiculous. Finally, she finished the  
  
song, and decided to take a sip from the glass of water that was thoughtfully passed to her by the  
  
conductor. "Thanks. I don't understand it. The songs I do are designed for the teenage demographic,  
  
but I have everyone here virtually eating out of my hands. It's just too weird."  
  
The conductor smiled and shook his head. "All of these people are responding to your music  
  
for the same reason they respond to mine. Your music hooks the person and makes them feel  
  
something about themselves. That's why you're so popular. By the way, I hope you have a pen  
  
stashed somewhere, as everyone will want your autograph for their children or for themselves. To be  
  
honest, my own children are nuts about you too, so I'll probably be the first in line."  
  
Sara groaned, rolling her eyes in tolerant amusement, and then took the second request,  
  
which was of one of the few romance songs she knew. Meanwhile, Dr. Zack turned back to the  
  
group he had so recently left, a smile tugging his moustache upwards. Rejoining Six, he gently  
  
offered her a glass of non-spiked punch, and decided to join in the conversation when an opening  
  
presented itself. Soon one did, as Reba and Lucas joined into the small cluster. "Well, how was the  
  
dance?"  
  
"My lower back wants to kill me, but it was fun." Lucas grinned sheepishly as Reba kicked  
  
him in the shin, smiling herself.  
  
"Actually, it was a lot of fun. And I never knew that Sara could sing like that. Either she's a  
  
natural talent, or she must've taken several years of practice to hold those notes."  
  
Jacinta, remembering her fight with Sara, instantly thought that whatever training Sara went  
  
through, it must have involved drowning tests. The thought made her smile though, and Six looked  
  
at her oddly for a second. "So, care to tell me what's going on in your head?"  
  
Jacinta shook her head, pleased at being able to keep something to herself in the slowly  
  
settling atmosphere of the party. Six and Magdalena, seemingly unperturbed about Jacinta's  
  
near-complete silence, continued to catch up on news between each other, while Reba and Lucas  
  
were joshed by Dr. Zack. Finally, after almost ten minutes of just relaxing and chatting between  
  
themselves, Sara rejoined the group, smiling broadly. "Well, that was extremely fun. So, did you all  
  
manage to reacquaint yourselves while I was singing?"  
  
_______________________  
  
"I didn't know you could sing like that!" CyberSix and Magdalena gushed simultaneously.  
  
"Where'd you learn how?"  
  
Sara shrugged it off modestly. "Just goes with the training. And practice. Lots of it. There's  
  
quite a bit you don't know about me."  
  
Dr. Zack grinned, ticking off points on his fingers. "So, according to the latest polls, you're a  
  
singer, a teacher, a medical researcher, and a gunslinger. What's next, a Broadway western?"  
  
CyberSix, ignoring Sara's spike-heeled boot planting itself firmly on Dr. Zack's big toe, slid  
  
her arm around Lucas's. "So, hon, have fun ditching me?"  
  
"Hey, come on," Lucas replied, knowing she was teasing. "You know I could never do that.  
  
Even though Reba is pretty cute!" Six slapped him on the arm playfully, but a bit too hard, for he  
  
winced and was once again reminded that his date possessed superhuman strength.   
  
"Sorry," Six said, giving him an apologetic peck on the cheek.  
  
"All right, all right, you two," Sara said. "If you want to get cozy, you can always check in  
  
downstairs."  
  
The group laughed as CyberSix turned as red as her dress.  
  
"Hey, that's not a bad---ow!" Lucas winced again as his foot felt the pressure of one of Six's  
  
pumps. Not enough to hurt him, just enough to silence him. "Okay. Take it easy. Geez. I'm gonna  
  
get some punch. And maybe some ice." He staggered off.  
  
CyberSix sighed. "Dope. Don't ask me why I love him."  
  
_______________________  
  
Sara grinned as she stage-whispered to Jacinta "Because he's the first person who ever kissed  
  
her without screaming about cooties."  
  
Jacinta nearly collapsed from laughing, and Six's face turned even redder. Magdalena, Reba,  
  
and Dr. Zack all turned to Sara, who smiled and shrugged innocently. "What? It's not like I publicly  
  
ridiculed her, like I did to Myron."  
  
Almost as if on cue, the doors to the kitchen opened, and Myron, drunk as a skunk,  
  
staggered out into the middle of the party. "Uh oh. If I have to smack him around, do you think the  
  
alcohol's anaesthesia effect will prevent him from suffering too much?"  
  
Sara glanced at Jacinta, and returned the smile that was beginning to tug at the corners of the  
  
younger woman's mouth. Myron, meanwhile, had seen the group of five women, and, sensing the  
  
highest concentration of 'babe factor' in the room, he staggered over to where Sara stood. Listing  
  
slightly, he firmly placed his right hand against Sara's backside, which was the second strike against  
  
him, the first being his continued existence. His left hand reached around and lightly slapped  
  
Jacinta's butt, and both women looked at each other before reaching down and grabbing two of  
  
Myron's fingers.  
  
Sara, smiling like a cat that had found itself in the canary cage, gently pulled Myron's right  
  
index finger into a ninety degree angle away from his hand, which, once the nerves got their  
  
messages to his brain, tried to tell him to remove his hand before he suffered from a broken finger.  
  
Sara didn't give him the chance. Covering Myron's finger with both of her hands, just as Jacinta did  
  
the same on her side, Sara pulled Myron's finger back, popping the bone out of place and firmly  
  
removing Myron's hand from her posterior. Simultaneously, Jacinta broke one of Myron's fingers on  
  
his other hand. However, the alcohol in his system prevented him from feeling too much.  
  
Sara gently and silently escorted Myron back to the kitchen door, gently patting his back as  
  
she kept an uncomfortable grip on an unbroken finger, thereby keeping him from making any stupid  
  
stunts on the way. She neatly escorted Myron to the small table set up for those she had verbally  
  
broken during the party, and, sitting Myron down in an unoccupied seat, she reached out and gave  
  
him a full bottle of Glenlivet malt whiskey. Happy once again, the mayor's son instantly started to  
  
chug away on the bottle, allowing Sara to escape unnoticed. Overall, the entire incident took less  
  
than two minutes.  
  
Jacinta, noticing Sara's compassion towards the poor, drunk man, simply shook her head. In  
  
an undertone, she muttered. "I still would have punched him out." 


	3. Verbal Flack

_______________________  
  
Sara shook her head at Jacinta's comment, smiling triumphantly. "Well, can't blame you. But  
  
I don't think he'll be bothering us anymore tonight."  
  
"Good," Jacinta said. "Because if he does it again, I really will punch him out."  
  
"Relax," Sara replied. "No need to be violent."  
  
"You two just broke two of his fingers," Magdalena interjected. "That's not violent?"  
  
"Um, well, it's more of a friendly reminder to keep his hands to himself," Sara explained.  
  
"They'll heal."   
  
Jacinta laughed evilly, hiding her poisonous delight behind her hand, and ignoring her  
  
mother's stern glare.  
  
"Hey," CyberSix said, changing the subject and pointing to the silver ring on Jacinta's finger.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
She abruptly stopped laughing, whisking her left hand behind her back and out of the view  
  
of the others. "Nothing,"she said quickly.   
  
"Let me see it," her aunt insisted, reaching for her arm. "That's not what I think it is, is it?"  
  
Jacinta, feeling exposed under the curious looks of the other women, promptly started to  
  
drag CyberSix to a more secluded corner of the room.  
  
"Hey, what's going on?" CyberSix asked suspiciously.  
  
"I don't want the others to know. Especially not my mother," Jacinta whispered. "Not yet,  
  
anyway. But since you pointed it out, I might as well tell you."  
  
"Is that a promise ring?" CyberSix asked, holding her niece's hand up to her face. "Are you  
  
seeing someone?"  
  
*You don't know the half of it.* Jacinta thought sarcastically, but wisely didn't put words to  
  
it. "Yes," she said, blushing slightly. "But don't tell the others. Please! I want to tell them when I'm  
  
ready."  
  
CyberSix nodded, already beginning to guess why Jacinta didn't want anyone to know and  
  
just who it was that gave her the ring. "All right," she said. "It'll be our secret."  
  
"Thanks, Aunt Si-Cyb," Jacinta said, giving her aunt a grateful hug. "I keep forgetting that I  
  
can't call you the other name in public."  
  
"It's all right," CyberSix said with a chuckle. "I'll just have to do something about that, won't  
  
I?" She jerked her head back to their group. "Come on. Let's get back before they get too  
  
suspicious."  
  
_______________________  
  
"So, what do you consider violent anyhow?" Magdalena, feeling curious, had decided to  
  
probe Sara for some information, which Sara was actually feeling slightly inclined to answer.  
  
"The usual. Castration, compound fractures, internal injuries, being tied into a pretzel by  
  
your legs, and so on." Sara recited the short list almost by memory, ticking off each point, and  
  
causing a few nearby party-goers to gasp in horror.  
  
Reba, smiling, reached up and poked Sara's right arm. "Don't forget about being shot,  
  
knocked around by concussion grenades, or otherwise pummelled into the ground."  
  
Sara grimaced, rubbing her right shoulder. "Don't remind me. By the way, shouldn't you be  
  
practising your Hippocratic oath and heal Myron? After all, I bet his bloodstream is about ninety  
  
proof by now."  
  
Reba smiled maliciously. "Naaahhh. It's easier to let him come into the ER in the morning,  
  
just so I can humiliate him even more than you have tonight."  
  
Sara, Reba and Magdalena all chuckled, and Sara nodded. "Touche. By the way, what are  
  
those two doing over there? It looks like those two are talking about that ring on Jacinta's finger, but  
  
I don't know for sure."  
  
Magdalena looked over at her daughter, who had just given Six a hug. "Hmm. I think I'll  
  
have a little talk with her, but after the party. By the way, what happened to Lucas and Dr. Zack?  
  
They seemed to have disappeared."  
  
Sara smiled, pointing over at the buffet tables set up along one wall. "Lucas and Tony, by  
  
now, are over at the buffet, wondering why each portion of food is about one sixth their normal  
  
size." Sara chuckled. "One of the other drawbacks of being in a party like this."  
  
Just as Sara finished speaking, Jacinta and Six rejoined the group. As Sara turned to look  
  
outside at the night-shrouded skyline, Jacinta caught a brief flash of silver running down Sara's left  
  
arm, passing underneath the dark purple armband and disappearing into Sara's long glove. "So,  
  
what's that? I thought you don't wear much jewellery, other than that pendant."  
  
Sara shook her head. "It's not. I'm sorry, but I'm not telling what it's from. However, you can  
  
interrogate Cyb until she cracks, as she knows what they're all about."  
  
Jacinta turned to Cyb, who instantly looked away, whistling to herself. Sara, used to her  
  
friend's idiosyncrasies, neatly jabbed her elbow into Six's ribs, causing the Cyber to exhale from the  
  
impact, and wince from the force of the blow, which would have sent any normal person to their  
  
knees. "Kids, stop it. You're embarrassing Magdalena, not to mention myself."  
  
Jacinta smiled, and Six laughed, both turning towards Sara. Six spoke first. "So, my dear  
  
friend, care to tell us..."  
  
Jacinta picked up the thread of the conversation as Six trailed off, smiling like that damn  
  
Cheshire cat. "...About that little line on your arm?"  
  
Sara frowned for the first time that night, and her voice dropped to such a chill tone that it  
  
could have made liquid nitrogen seem warm by comparison. "No. Now drop it. As I said, talk to  
  
Cyb about it. Now, pardon me."  
  
Annoyed with herself, Sara turned and moved towards the drinks table, which was virtually  
  
hopping with business. However, the crowd parted neatly for Sara, and she smiled tightly. "Whiskey  
  
sour, double strength."  
  
_______________________  
  
Jacinta gave her aunt a shady glance from the corner of her eyes. "Soooo," she said slyly.  
  
"What's her armband for?"  
  
CyberSix wasn't about to be tricked. "I don't think so."  
  
"Awww, c'mon, Aunt Cyb," Jacinta pleaded, wrapping her arms around CyberSix's waist in  
  
a hug that clearly indicated she wasn't about to let her aunt get away. "Please tell me. Please.  
  
Please," she continued her plea with the annoying insistence of a whining lap dog.   
  
CyberSix rolled her eyes. "No!"  
  
"I'll just keep doing it until you do," Jacinta said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.  
  
"Pleasepleaseplease--"  
  
"No, no, no!" CyberSix groaned, wriggling free. "I made a promise that I wouldn't tell." She  
  
threw the last few words sharply at Jacinta, whose eyes went wide with sudden understanding.  
  
"Right," she said hastily. "Um, I was just kidding. Heheh."  
  
"Sure," CyberSix said sarcastically, but smiled in spite of the blunder. "All joking aside,  
  
though. Sara really wouldn't like it if I told you."  
  
"Okay. Subject dropped," Jacinta said, pressing her mouth into a thin line and finding  
  
something else to look at aside from her mother's penetrating stare. She knew that stare. It was the  
  
look all mothers give their children when they suspect that something is being kept from them.  
  
CyberSix watched with interest at the silent conversation between the two women, amazed that they  
  
could read each other's body language that clearly. She sensed the tension and decided to give them  
  
some space.  
  
"Wow, I'm hungry," she said in an obviously strained voice. "C'mon, Reba, let's get  
  
something to eat."  
  
"But, I'm not--hey!" Reba's protest was cut off as the much stronger Cyber grabbed her wrist  
  
and steered her towards the buffet.  
  
A knowing, humourless smirk tilted the corner of Magdalena's mouth as she spoke words  
  
made famous by one Desi Arnez: "You've got some explaining to do."   
  
_______________________  
  
Sara, having had three whiskey sours in less than ten minutes, was feeling slightly  
  
light-headed, which was her body's way of saying 'that's it?'. However, as her unique internals  
  
proceeded to work madly to remove the effects of alcohol from her system, Sara found herself  
  
surrounded by a half dozen men, all of whom were leering at her. One dislocated finger later, the  
  
group went back to harassing their respective dates, though one of the six was wincing and rubbing  
  
his hand from where Sara had relocated his finger back into a normal position.  
  
Moving over to the buffet, Sara neatly selected some light items from the array of rare and  
  
expensive foodstuffs, then noticed Six and Reba raiding the caviar and crackers. Walking over to the  
  
two, Sara smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about my outburst earlier. I just needed to cool off."  
  
Six nodded, nibbling at a cracker. Reba smiled and patted Sara's hand, absently noting that  
  
the scar on Sara's shoulder was shimmering brightly due to the lights catching the slightly reflective  
  
tissue. "Don't worry about it. We all blow up sometime, and considering the crap you've gone  
  
through since you arrived in the city, I'm surprised you haven't exploded before now."  
  
Sara smiled, chuckling ruefully. "That wasn't an explosion. That was my fuse fizzling a little  
  
bit. Anyhow, it looks like Jacinta's getting a strip torn out of her by her mother, so I should wait to  
  
apologize for snapping at her."  
  
Just as Sara finished off one of the entrees, she heard an incredulous "WHAT???" coming  
  
from Magdalena's direction.  
  
Sara instantly rolled her eyes, glancing over at Six and Reba. All three nodded, saying the  
  
same thing. "Damage control."  
  
_______________________  
  
Jacinta bit her lip, unsure of how to start. She really didn't want to tell her mother here, with  
  
all of these people around, but Magdalena had already caught her, so she had no choice.   
  
"Anytime, Jacinta," her mother said. "I'm waiting."  
  
"Um...well, remember about two months ago when..." she swallowed, her throat suddenly  
  
feeling dry. "...when I came back home and Aunt Cyb was with me, only I didn't know she was my  
  
aunt then?"  
  
Magdalena's eyes narrowed at her daughter, eyebrows lifting skeptically. She had an inkling  
  
what road this was going down and feared that she wouldn't be liking the outcome. "Yes, I  
  
remember that quite well," she replied.  
  
Jacinta drew in closer and lowered her voice almost to a whisper. "Do you remember who  
  
else was there?"  
  
Magdalena felt her teeth grinding together as the face of Von Reichter's clone-child came  
  
floating unbidden into her mind to wave a horrible hello. "Yes," she hissed.   
  
Jacinta's eyes darted around anxiously. "Mom, do we really have to talk about this here?"  
  
Magdalena rubbed her forehead as it began to ache. "Just tell me." She sighed, switching to  
  
Spanish to avoid anyone being able to understand the rest of the conversation. Most of the  
  
uppercrusts here only spoke English or French, preferring them over their own native tongue for  
  
some narrow-minded reason.  
  
"Well...he gave me this ring." Jacinta said, switching to Spanish herself, but not daring to  
  
raise her voice.  
  
"He...WHAT?" Magdalena shrieked, shock momentarily causing a breach in the language  
  
barrier. Seeing that her outburst had caused a few head-turns, she dropped her voice back down and  
  
gave her daughter a glare that would have sent the devil himself fleeing in terror of her maternal  
  
wrath.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" she demanded in a hushed, clipped tone. "I don't understand you,  
  
Jacinta! You know what he is and who--" she abruptly cut off and squeezed her eyes shut painfully.  
  
"We'll talk about this when we get home. I should have known this would happen. That explains  
  
why you were gone for so long."  
  
"I--didn't want to tell you right away," Jacinta stuttered, feeling terrible about how awful this  
  
was going. "In fact, I almost didn't want to tell you at all. I knew you wouldn't...approve"  
  
"You're damn right I don't." Magdalena shot back, catching Jacinta off guard. Her mother  
  
almost never swore!   
  
"Just go--" she gesticulated wildly, "be with your aunt right now, okay? We'll talk about it  
  
later."  
  
Jacinta bit her lip, wanting to say or do something to ease her mother's hurt, but Magdalena's  
  
posture clearly stated that she didn't want any physical contact right now. Head bowed, Jacinta  
  
drifted over to the buffet.   
  
_______________________  
  
Sara noticed Jacinta walking over to the buffet, and, Six and Reba flanking her, she  
  
intercepted the distraught girl, gently escorting her out to the balcony. Thankfully, it was almost  
  
deserted, mainly because all the entertainment was going on inside. As soon as the four were at least  
  
partially hidden in the shadows, Jacinta turned, and, eyes overflowing, she looked at both Six and  
  
Sara. Six reacted first, pulling Jacinta into a hug right before she broke down, weeping openly. Sara  
  
remained silent, gently shooing away some overly curious people as Jacinta slowly regained control  
  
over herself.  
  
Finally, Jacinta disengaged herself from Six's embrace, and, sniffling slightly, she tried to  
  
smile. Sara shook her head and gently touched Jacinta's arm. "You don't need to do that. I have a  
  
good idea why you're looking like that, and it's nothing to be ashamed of."  
  
Jacinta then smiled as she heard Sara's genuinely sympathetic tone, and then, looking at her  
  
well-dressed 'adversary', she was startled when she saw the small knife that had appeared in Sara's  
  
hand. The knife, which Jacinta identified as a stiletto, disappeared almost as quickly as she had first  
  
seen it, seemingly tucked into Sara's left glove. "Yeah, I guess. you ever fight with your parents?"  
  
Sara smiled, nodding. "Only all the time. At least, until I left home." Sara gently took Jacinta  
  
to the side, gesturing that she could take care of anything so Six wouldn't worry too much. In an  
  
undertone, Sara started speaking. "Look, I'll reiterate what I said a while ago. If you love him as  
  
much as he loves you, you'll stick by him, no matter what your family might say. I did it, though it  
  
didn't end well for me."  
  
Jacinta, looking out at the statue of the guardian, glanced at Sara. "What happened?"  
  
Sara sighed, looking glum. "He died. So did my daughter."  
  
Jacinta literally went through a double-take, staring at Sara, and noticing the tears slowly  
  
trickling down Sara's face. "I'm sorry. I don't know what it is to lose someone."  
  
Sara frowned. "Trust me. If you don't get a leash on your friend, you might just go through  
  
what I did." Then, moving slowly, Sara pulled out the knife from the hidden sheath in her glove,  
  
gently looking at the sharp weapon. "I want to show you something."  
  
Jacinta looked over at Sara, who was pulling her left glove off. "What are you doing?"  
  
Sara smiled indulgently. "You wanted to know about that line on my shoulder, correct?   
  
Well, here's a side effect." With that, she held her left hand over the edge of the railing and drove the  
  
knife through the palm of her hand.  
  
Jacinta was about to scream, mainly from the shock of seeing Sara do something like that,  
  
just as Sara's hand neatly fountained a spurt of blood out into the night by a good six inches. "Shh.  
  
Just watch."  
  
Sara pulled the knife free, flicking the residual blood off before sheathing it. As Sara turned  
  
the wound towards Jacinta, the blood was already being absorbed back into Sara's hand. In less than  
  
a minute, the small wound had sealed itself completely, and the only trace that it had even existed  
  
was a faint silver line in the middle of Sara's hand. "That's the secret. I'm no longer entirely human. I  
  
have artificial bones and nanotechnology out the gills, making me stronger, faster, and tougher than  
  
a normal person. However, I'm telling you all of this in trust. Please keep it a secret."  
  
Jacinta nodded, and the two spent a few more minutes looking out at the sights of the city  
  
until Six and Reba rejoined them. "So, feeling better?"  
  
Six looked at Jacinta, who was smiling slightly. "A bit. Sara told me something that put it  
  
into perspective."  
  
Sara nodded, then silently moved back into the party, raiding the food table for a minute or  
  
two.  
  
_______________________  
  
"Do you need anything?" CyberSix asked gently. "Something to drink, maybe?"  
  
Jacinta nodded. "Water would be nice, thanks." She rubbed her eyes, which still stung from  
  
her tears.  
  
"I'll get it," Reba volunteered, leaving before CyberSix could protest.   
  
"Oh, man," Jacinta sighed heavily. "What a night." She attempted a wan smile but didn't  
  
entirely succeed.  
  
"What a night indeed," CyberSix said, placing a reassuring hand on her niece's shoulder. "I  
  
hope you can work things out with your mother."  
  
"I don't think so," Jacinta said, any trace of a smile disappearing. "She doesn't understand  
  
everything I've gone through. Especially with..." she trailed off awkwardly.  
  
"I mean, to her anything having to do with Von Reichter is evil. But that's not entirely true.  
  
Look at us. We're a part of what he's done, but we are not evil. I think my mother's forgotten that.  
  
She tries so hard to be normal, you know? And she wants that for me too." She shrugged and gazed  
  
up at the dark sky. Few, if any, stars were visible; most of them drowned out by the bright city  
  
lights. "But I don't think I can pretend to be anything other than what I am."  
  
CyberSix digested this all silently and thoughtfully, hearing the truth in Jacinta's words, but  
  
also puzzled by them. "Are you trying to tell me that Jose isn't evil?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"He isn't," Jacinta replied, staring her aunt right in the eyes. "I know you don't believe it,  
  
considering everything he's done to you. But you have to think. Everything he's ever done was  
  
mostly influenced by his father. He may have come from his father, but they're not the same person.  
  
Sure, he's unstable. Who wouldn't be if Von Reichter was your father? But he's not evil. Not  
  
entirely, anyway."  
  
Reba retured with the water, and Jacinta accepted it gratefully. "I don't expect anyone to  
  
understand the way I feel," Jacinta continued, noticing that the dark expression on her aunt's face.  
  
"But I don't think you'll have to worry about him anymore."  
  
CyberSix's brows furrowed in newfound confusion. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that he's got nothing against you now that his father's gone," Jacinta said. "The only  
  
reason he kept attacking you was because he wanted to prove himself. But he doesn't have to do that  
  
anymore. So you're safe now. Besides, he knows I'm your niece and he wouldn't dare try anything  
  
with me around."  
  
"He told you all this?" CyberSix asked wonderingly.   
  
"We've been talking a lot since then," Jacinta answered, sipping at her water. "We decided  
  
that if we were going to... well, you know, then we had to agree on some things."  
  
CyberSix could only stare dumbfoundedly at the sudden maturity she saw in the young  
  
woman. She had it all planned, right down to how it was going to affect those closest to her. To  
  
CyberSix, it showed that she had their best interests at heart. Only Jacinta's mother remained to be  
  
convinced.  
  
"It's thanks to Sara that I've been able to tell this to anyone," Jacinta said. "She told me her  
  
secret, so I told you mine."  
  
"I'm glad you did," CyberSix said. "I really hope everything goes well for you."  
  
"Thanks," Jacinta said, a sad smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I hope so too." 


	4. Social Resolutions

_______________________  
  
Sara had picked her way through what had seemed interesting over at the buffet, but found  
  
that much of the food was too rich for her taste. Instead, she had settled on some foie gras on  
  
crackers, and, from the drinks table, a glassful of Dragon's Breath, which had earned her a shocked  
  
glance from the server. However, he had acquiesced to her request for the strong beer, and the  
  
expensive import was added to the selection of fine wines and liquors.  
  
During her socializing, Sara glanced at an ornate clock on one wall, unsurprised to note that  
  
it was nearing four in the morning. However, she had one thing left to do before she even thought of  
  
packing it in and going home. It took some time, but Sara finally found Magdalena. Walking over to  
  
the older woman, Sara nodded discreetly, noting with little surprise that Magdalena was on her sixth  
  
glass of champagne.  
  
Magdalena spoke first, and the barely veiled anger in her tone was easily apparent to Sara.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
Sara sighed. "To talk to you."  
  
Magdalena snorted derisively, looking over at Sara as she did so. "Yeah right. I saw that you  
  
were talking to Jacinta for almost ten minutes, and she seems to be happier than when you got her  
  
out to the balcony. What did you do? Make a joke about jumping off?"  
  
Sara shook her head, edging closer to Magdalena as she did so. "No. I only put her situation  
  
in perspective."  
  
Magdalena didn't look convinced, and Sara sighed. "Fine. Do you want to know what  
  
happened when Jacinta and I first met?"  
  
Magdalena, confused by the sudden shift in conversation as well as Sara's attitude, only  
  
nodded. Sara smiled slightly, then gently pulled Magdalena towards a deserted corner of the room.  
  
"I first saw your daughter in the back yard of Jose's mansion, practising with a sword. Anyhow, to  
  
make a long, involved fight short, I whacked her over the head, picked her up, and high-tailed it out  
  
of there. That's how your ex got to meet her."  
  
Magdalena chewed on her lower lip, glancing towards where her ex-husband was still  
  
hobnobbing with the mayor. Sara frowned in response. "Yeah, I know he's monopolized the  
  
mayor's time, but I have no reason to drag him into the real world. Anyhow, Jose didn't take too  
  
kindly to my 'raid' and gave chase. It only ended when I pulled a gun on your daughter and told  
  
Jose to back off."  
  
Sara was then forced to block Magdalena's well-aimed and anger-fuelled slap. The force  
  
behind the blow was obvious, and Sara felt her left shoulder joint loosen from the impact. "Ow. Let  
  
me finish before you tear my head off. Jose had a vendetta against me for about five months, give or  
  
take a week. Now, if he didn't care about your daughter, we wouldn't be having this conversation,  
  
and your daughter would have a plot of land six feet deep as her only property. Instead, he backed  
  
off. As a result, your daughter's still in one piece, and she came out of it with a sincere apology and  
  
fifteen grand."  
  
Magdalena, who had raised her hand for another slap, was stopped cold when Sara's hand  
  
snaked out and grabbed her elbow. "Now, I personally don't know and don't care about what's  
  
going on between the two, but if she's happy, you may as well set aside your misgivings and give  
  
her your blessing. It's the only thing a parent can do after everything else has been done, except to  
  
support, through thick and thin, your child."  
  
Sara turned and began to walk away, only stopping when Magdalena asked a question.  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
Sara turned slightly, looking at Magdalena through the fall of hair on the right side of her  
  
face. She then swept the hair back, giving Magdalena a perfect view of the scars on her face.  
  
"Because, I lost my own child seven years ago. I don't want to see anyone else suffer through what I  
  
have. By the way, I can tell that you rebelled as well when you were younger. Your eyes gave it  
  
away."  
  
Magdalena nodded, staring at the twisted tracery of lines that covered most of Sara's right  
  
cheek. Sara then swept her hair back into place, and walked away, seemingly heading back to the  
  
drinks. Finally, Magdalena nodded, fingering the cross at her throat. "Maybe that is why she chose  
  
the name Angel of Redemption."  
  
_______________________  
  
"It's getting late...or early," CyberSix said, glancing inside at the clock on the wall. The party  
  
was winding down, and about half of the guests had left with several varieties of alcohol swimming  
  
through their heads.  
  
"Yeah," Jacinta agreed with a yawn. Going through the entire emotional spectrum in one  
  
night takes a toll on anyone. "I should probably find my mom." She clutched CyberSix tightly in a  
  
goodbye hug. "I'm really glad to see you again."  
  
"Me too, Jacinta," her aunt replied softly. "If you ever need someplace to stay or someone to  
  
talk to, you know where I am."  
  
Jacinta pulled back and nodded. "Thanks for listening," she said with a tearful smile. "I love  
  
you."  
  
"I love you too,"CyberSix replied, letting her go and watching her disappear into the crowd.  
  
She crossed her arms and bowed her head in deep thought and anxiety. Jacinta made her rounds,  
  
bidding farewell to Reba, Dr. Zack, and Lucas. She hesitated when she spotted her mother alone in a  
  
dark corner of the hall. *Not yet* she thought, her eyes sweeping the room for one last person to say  
  
goodbye to.  
  
She found Sara back at the drink table, a pensive frown wrinkling her forehead and pulling  
  
at her mouth. She wondered if she should say anything at all, but decided she needed to if she was  
  
going to leave with a clearer conscience. "Sara?" Jacinta asked tentatively. "Um, I'm going to go. It's  
  
getting late."  
  
Sara nodded, her frown lessening somewhat. "Okay. Take care, all right? And remember  
  
what I told you. Don't let anyone try and stop you from being happy."  
  
Jacinta nodded slightly, pursing her lips together. "Thanks," she said. "I'll try. And I won't  
  
tell anyone about, well, you know." she pointed at her hand to indicate Sara's earlier demonstration  
  
with her knife.   
  
Sara smiled, nodding slightly. "It would be greatly appreciated. I hope you'll think better of  
  
me from now on. I'm not all about guns and fighting, you know?"  
  
"Yeah," Jacinta replied awkwardly. She unconsciously started to fiddle with the ring on her  
  
finger, obviously looking like she wanted to say something else. Instead, she turned and began to  
  
walk away. "Bye." She said quietly with a little wave, then took off.  
  
_______________________  
  
Sara sighed, watching Jacinta until the girl had disappeared into the elevators. "I wish you  
  
luck kiddo. Everyone deserves at least one chance."  
  
"What'cha talking about Sara?" Sara started slightly, then looked down at Reba, who was  
  
all smiles. Noticing the infectious grin, Sara couldn't help but smile back.  
  
"Nothing really. By the way, where's everyone else? Waiting for me by the elevator?" Reba  
  
nodded, and Sara chuckled. "I'll be there in a few minutes. I just have to offer a ride to someone."  
  
With that, Sara turned and walked towards Magdalena. "Come on. I'll give you a ride  
  
home."  
  
Magdalena snorted, but then noticed the look in Sara's eyes. Sighing, she nodded and  
  
accepted the outstretched hand. "Looks like my good-for-nothing ex has forgotten Jacinta and I, so I  
  
should take up your offer. By the way, where is Jacinta?"  
  
Sara smiled to herself, mentally shaking her head. "She's already downstairs, probably  
  
waiting for her daddy's limo to pull up and collect her. I wouldn't bet on it though. He was the first  
  
person to leave this shindig. Come on. Reba's waiting for us so she can get home before her shift at  
  
the hospital starts, and I have a pile of biology labs to go through and mark before the end of the  
  
weekend. Besides, Lucas and Cyb are both looking quite antsy. Probably because of the half-dozen  
  
whiskies Lucas drank though."  
  
Magdalena laughed, as she had seen Sara finish off the same amount of whiskey in less than  
  
half the time. "Good thing you're not driving though. Your blood must be at sixty proof by now."  
  
Sara, completely unfazed from the amount of alcohol she had consumed, smiled as she  
  
quickly recited a verse from 'A Modern Major General', keeping the tempo perfect. After she  
  
finished, Sara glanced at Magdalena, who had started laughing. "Works better than reciting the  
  
alphabet backwards, huh? Come on, let's get outta here before the candystripers come running."  
  
The two walked over to the elevators, Sara neatly snagging Reba by an earlobe when she  
  
noticed the growth-retarded doctor trying to get her hands on the half-empty glass of beer Sara had  
  
left on the drink table. Ignoring Reba's yelp of pain, Sara neatly joined her original group of friends,  
  
all of whom were beginning to look at various timepieces. The elevator took less than a minute to  
  
arrive though, and the six people were quickly whisked to the ground floor. Walking out of the  
  
hotel, Sara snagged the nearest valet, giving him the card to wake up the limo driver.  
  
As the limo pulled up, Sara looked around for a few seconds, and, as the rest of the group  
  
piled into the limo, Sara walked over to Jacinta, who was looking almost forlorn as she watched the  
  
last few stragglers leave the party. "Hey."  
  
Jacinta nodded, but left an opportunity open for Sara. "Wanna come with us? Probably  
  
better than trying to walk home in those shoes, and it looks like your 'father' buggered off early."  
  
Jacinta looked at Sara, angry for a second. "Y'know, considering the sarcasm you put on  
  
that one word, it looks like you like him less than I do."  
  
Sara nodded, smiling. "Good. 'Cause I really don't like anyone inattentive enough to leave  
  
their own flesh and blood in the lurch. Come on. Let's blow this popsicle stand. Besides, you  
  
probably want some sleep, and we're the last ones from the party."  
  
Jacinta nodded, and Sara, charitably enough, let Jacinta enter the limo first. Of course, that  
  
was about two seconds before Jacinta saw her mother sitting next to the only empty spot in the back  
  
seat, as Sara had squeezed in, closed the door, and firmly planted herself between Cyb and Lucas,  
  
both of whom were looking slightly irritated at their friend. Sighing to herself, Jacinta took the only  
  
empty seat, absently noticing that Reba was already asleep and slowly leaning into her right side,  
  
pushing her closer to her mother.  
  
Jacinta glared at Sara, but Sara simply knocked twice on the partition, setting the limo in  
  
motion a few seconds later. Sara grinned, her lips moving slightly, and then the bracelet on her left  
  
arm changed. Flattening out, the bracelet covered Sara's upper arm to the elbow, and then spread  
  
across her chest to her other arm. Less than three seconds later, Sara was wearing a dark purple  
  
half-jacket that neatly covered her upper arms, and was open down the front, looking just like a  
  
denim jacket would. Jacinta's response was unsurprised, but everyone else turned and looked at  
  
Sara, with the universal question being asked by Six and Reba. "How do you do that?"  
  
"Trade secret. Let's just go home, okay?" With that, Sara closed her eyes, listening as each  
  
person gave their respective addresses to the driver.  
  
_______________________  
  
Jacinta grimaced and squirmed at the uncomfortable closeness in the backseat, namely being  
  
smushed against her mother.  
  
"You know, I'm not going to bite." Magdalena said dryly.   
  
"Oh, really? You looked like you were about to take my head off back there." Jacinta  
  
sniped, gently lifting Reba's head off of her shoulder and leaning it on the windowpane. Not exactly  
  
too comfortable, but she needed room to move.  
  
"Let's not get petty, all right? I'm still angry." Her mother said with a violent sigh of  
  
resignation. "And I would have forbidden it, except your friend there," she jerked her head in Sara's  
  
direction, "reminded me of how I felt when I was your age. I still don't understand it, but I won't  
  
stand in your way if this is what you want."  
  
Jacinta's face softened, but her eyes remained sharp and bright as she studied her mother's  
  
face, a face that suddenly seemed tired and beginning to reflect its age. She felt a twinge of sympathy  
  
knot in her. "I don't know what to say," she said in a low, stunned voice. "I know this isn't easy for  
  
you, but... it is what I want."  
  
Not another word passed bewteen them for the rest of the ride. Reba was first to be dropped  
  
off, then Dr. Zack, and then Cybersix and Lucas. CyberSix gave Jacinta one last parting look before  
  
letting her date help her out of the limo.  
  
"So, that leaves just the three of us then," Sara said as soon as they'd gone, her tone almost  
  
cheerful. "Where to?"  
  
Jacinta glanced uncertainly at her mother.   
  
"My apartment," Magdalena said. "Then take Jacinta wherever she wants to go." The barest  
  
hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she met her daughter's saucer-eyed stare.  
  
_______________________  
  
Sara nodded, using the intercom to tell the driver where to go. Meanwhile, Jacinta still hadn't  
  
recovered over the mental shock of her mother's almost-sudden acceptance of her own situation.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Magdalena had exited the limo at the entrance of her own apartment, and  
  
Sara, seeing Jacinta yawn, nodded to herself. "So, you want to head out to the mansion now, and  
  
probably fall asleep in the entrance, or would you like to crash at my place for the rest of the day?"  
  
Jacinta smiled, realizing that the sun was just peeking out from the horizon of the city.  
  
"Umm, I think I'll crash at your place. I'll be able to get to my normal home without much of a  
  
hassle tonight, and I am feeling pretty toasted."  
  
Sara smiled and nodded, knowing the feeling. "Yeah. Good thing the guest room has silk  
  
instead of cotton."  
  
She then told the driver to head to her house, and flipped around so she was sitting beside  
  
Jacinta. Watching the streets go by slowly, Sara yawned and stretched, then cursed in pain. Jacinta,  
  
surprised, looked over at Sara, who was grimacing as she slowly flexed her right arm. Finally,  
  
underneath the thick material of Sara's pseudo-jacket, Jacinta saw Sara's right shoulder shift around,  
  
seemingly dislocated. However, before she could ask about it, The limo pulled into the driveway of  
  
Sara's house, and let the two women leave the vehicle.  
  
Sara, nodding to herself, pulled out a thick wad of bills from somewhere underneath her  
  
right arm, and peeling six off of the outer layer, she paid the driver. Sara then walked up to the front  
  
door of her house, and instead of fumbling for a key, she simply pressed her thumb against a flat  
  
plate next to the door. A few seconds later, the door unlocked with a dull clunk, and Sara  
  
grandiosely opened up the front door to her house.  
  
Jacinta, taking to the invitation, walked inside, noticing the massive couch sitting in the open  
  
living room, then noticing the huge gas plasma TV right across from the couch. "Wow. this place is  
  
pretty neat."  
  
Sara's response was a light smile, followed by a shrug. "Well, you can look around if you  
  
want, but I have to crash and burn in a few minutes. I'll see you in about six hours."  
  
With that, Sara headed upstairs, leaving Jacinta to her own devices.  
  
_______________________  
  
Jacinta looked at herself in the mirror as she reached up behind her head to let her hair down.  
  
She'd already taken off her jewelry and dealt with her painfully toe-pinching boots, her feet glad to  
  
be free of their confines. It was amazing how much pain women had to go through to look their best,  
  
she realized.  
  
*Damn! How many bobbypins had the hairdresser stuck in there?* She made a face. Finally  
  
all the little suckers lay in a pile on the dresser and her hair, unused to being bound up for so long,  
  
fell around her face in crazy waves. *Bugger. That'll be fun to get out in the morning....er...later in  
  
the morning.*  
  
Her frown deepened as she tried to smooth her hair down, but to no avail. The hairdresser  
  
had used too much hairspray.  
  
"Oh, what the hell." She muttered to herself, flopping down on the Queen sized guestbed,  
  
pleasantly surprised to find that the sheets were indeed silk and the mattress was made of down. Yet  
  
as comfortable as it was, she couldn't bring herself to sleep. It was certaintly gracious of Sara to let  
  
her stay, Jacinta thought, past feelings of sourness she'd held towards the bounty hunter dissolving  
  
into a grudging admiration.  
  
She wondered what Sara had said to her mother to make her seem to change her mind so  
  
quickly. She couldn't be sure Magdalena really approved. In fact, she was sure her mother probably  
  
never would approve. But whatever Sara had done had shown Magdalena that her daughter had  
  
grown up, and could not be controlled by her anymore. As much as she loved her mother, Jacinta  
  
could not help but admit to the secret feeling of relief that she was free from her.  
  
Not completely, of course. Some ties could never be broken. CyberSix had shown her that a  
  
long time ago. It was the fact that she was now free to chose whom she loved and free to make her  
  
own decisions about her life that put a contented smile on her face. Lifting up her left hand, she  
  
watched the moonlight that came filtering through her window glint off of the silver ring and drifted  
  
slowly off to sleep.  
  
Meanwhile....  
  
Back at the hotel, Myron had become increasingly aggressive due to the obscene amounts of  
  
alcohol inebriating his brain. Being the mayor's son did not excuse him from the indignity of being  
  
escorted out by two policemen, followed up with charges of harassment and refusal to cooperate  
  
with law enforcement. Naturally, it's hard to coordinate, much less cooperate with anything when  
  
your eyesight is fuzzy and it looks like you're walking through a Pablo Picasso painting.   
  
Miguel, however, was much less fortunate. After having passed out, Jose, having lost  
  
communication with the Techno, immediately dispatched one of his more reliable agents to retrive  
  
him. A nice, hard beating with a riding crop jarred him out of whatever void his mind had been  
  
floating in and he was interrogated about every detail of the party right up until his untimely demise.  
  
When questioned about the whereabouts of Jacinta, Miguel couldn't answer and the poor man found  
  
himself becoming a chew toy for Jose's dog.  
  
_______________________  
  
Sara sat on the edge of her bed, sighing in relief as she wiggled her toes, restoring the feeling  
  
in them. Setting the knee-high boots to one side, Sara then pulled off her gloves, carefully  
  
unstrapping the stiletto's sheath from the inside of her left glove. Her hair was next, and, after  
  
untying the small ribbons that held her braids together, Sara neatly plucked out the half-dozen pins  
  
that had held her hair up all night.  
  
Shaking her head, her hair went flying freely about, swiftly restoring itself to its usual  
  
straight style. Then, after divesting herself of her dress, which was neatly hung up in her closet, and  
  
putting on a pair of shorts and a halter top, Sara walked out into the hallway, noticing that the guest  
  
room's door was still open. Moving quietly, Sara peeked into the room, noting that Jacinta was fast  
  
asleep. Sneaking silently into the room, Sara closed the curtain before the early morning light could  
  
touch Jacinta, and then, leaning over her guest, she gently kissed her on the cheek. Sara quietly  
  
moved back into the hallway, somewhat bemused by what she had done.  
  
Moving downstairs so she could start marking the bio labs from her classes, Sara whispered  
  
something to the still air. "If only you knew how much you remind me of my own life. That's why  
  
I'll keep on giving you advice, even if you require a beating over the head and shoulders with a  
  
blunt object to make the lesson stick. I hope, one day, that we'll be able to call each other friend." 


End file.
